The Place To Be

The cartoon-like depiction of a Chinook Native American, which was used as a high school sports and academic mascot, has received a respectful makeover that takes into account tribal culture and legacy.

For decades, Charlie Chinook has been the mascot of Kalama High School in Lewis County, Washington. Unfortunately, Charlie Chinook was designed at a time when mascots were simply copied from whatever baseball teams happened to be embroidering into their uniforms and pennants.

The original Charlie Chinook design was downright offensive; it was essentially a male tribal member doing a war dance and celebrating the taking of a scalp by means of tomahawk. Years ago, members of the community complained enough to remove the scalp, which was redrawn into an academic diploma. The debate over Charlie Chinook eventually resulted in doing away with the mascot completely, a move that left Kalama High School with diminished team spirit.

According to a recent article in the Lewis County Chronicle, a newspaper cartoonist and Chinook tribal member has been tasked to redesign the mascot so that it reflects the important Native American legacy of the people who have been living in that region of the United States for many centuries.

The new Charlie Chinook wears a cedar hat and ceremonial garb. He holds an oar that symbolizes the deep connection of the tribe to the waterways of Washington State. The Kalama High School students have done their research and given input into what their mascot should look like. In the end, the community has learned a valuable lesson.

The Kabbalah Centre is an educational and spiritual organization whose sole purpose is to teach the ancient Kabbalah wisdom to those who wish to learn it. Founded in 1922, the Kabbalah Centre is the largest organization that makes the teachings of the Kabbalah accessible and understandable to people around the world. The Centre provides courses and classes that give its students tools and wisdom that can assist to improve their lives.

The Kabbalah is a spiritual wisdom as opposed to a religious one. The courses provided at the Centre focus on self-awareness, personal development, and mind-body-soul balance. People learn and train how to transform negative reactions into mindful proactive decisions. Students are also taught about the human Ego which is used to explain how a distorted view of the universe can lead to poor judgment. The courses provided by the Kabbalah Centre act as a bridge between the ancient spiritual study and making better lifestyle choices and improving relationships.

The good thing about the Kabbalah Centre is that it teaches kabbalistic principles that do not need the previous knowledge of Hebrew or Jewish texts. The principles are simply spiritual tools that help students improve their lives and those of others. The manner in which students apply these tools and principles is what makes a positive difference in every student’s life journey.

The institution teaches Kabbalah as a universal wisdom similar to that found in the Bible or religion. The Kabbalah believes that there is a resemblance in religious and spiritual belief systems such as Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, among others. As a result, the Kabbalah wisdom can be studied by anyone regardless of their religion. The Centre, therefore, presents itself as a complement of religion and not a substitute for it.

Learning the Kabbalah has never been easier. The Kabbalah Centre provides more than 50 physical locations where students can learn the Kabbalah wisdom. The institution publishes books and offers online and offline courses to deliver the Kabbalah principles to millions of people around the world.

Going out to eat tonight? What’s to going to be – Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Italian – or how about Native American?

Well, watchers of the food industry say that restaurant themes and cuisines based on Native American cooking could be the next big thing. Just as traditional Mexican, Chinese and other cultural food styles have been well-integrated into American restaurant culture, Native American inspired food could find its way into the mainstream.

It will be a huge challenge, of course. One of the difficulties in mainstreaming Native cooking is that most recipes and cooking lore has always been handed down by word of mouth. Few written recipes means few road maps.

Ingredients are another factor. For example, traditional Native American diets are rich in venison and buffalo, and also food stuffs that tend not to be mass produced and only available seasonably, such as acorns, wild rice, chokecherries, juneberries and morels.

On the other hand, many classic Native American foods are common and plentiful year-round, such as corn, squash, potatoes and beans. There’s also freshwater delicacies, such as walleye, perch, northern pike, salmon, crayfish and more.

But for a dish to be authentically Native, it should also avoid such Old World staples as wheat flour, white refined sugar and even dairy. Sweetening Native style is accomplished with honey or maple syrup.

Still, the idea of Native American themed restaurants is exciting for many. A “slow movement” toward “indigenous cuisine” may even be gathering, said Sean Sherman, an Oglala Sioux and cook in North Dakota.

Sherman plans to open a Native-themed restaurant in Minneapolis next year.

Bethany Yellowtail is the owner of her own fashion line B.Yellowtail. Her work is inspired by the traditional Native American clothing. They come in Apsaalooke and Tsetsehestahese & So’taeo’o styles. She originally worked with BCBG Max Azria Group to produce other clothing labels.

She uses the B.Yellowtail Collective brand to employ Native Americans from her own community in making and distributing clothes. They claim to source the highest quality material to make the highest quality authentic clothing. They compensate their workers with fair wages and benefits.

Her community is a small reservation in the middle of Montana. There is very few modern installations in the area and there is no cell phone coverage. She realized that many native Americans were producing hand-made products and short selling it at low prices due to desperation. She realized that their products can be sold at a much higher price if it were distributed to the right people. She is hoping that starting up the fashion industry in this area will combat chronic unemployment of her community.

Her online store features various accessories, cuffs, blankets, hats, earrings, necklaces, purses, scarves and other clothing items. Their beaded bracelets are on sale from the $75 to $125 range. They have earrings that are made in traditional native patterns that start from $95 per pair. Their large blankets are made from 100% imported New Zealand wool and are fit for queen sized beds. They have beautiful medallions and beaded necklaces for as low as $175.

The Sunny Plumbers is one of the most reputable professional plumbing company in Tucson. Established in the year 1998 and operations only confined to Tucson, the company has grown to serve other areas including Phoenix, Las Vegas and Southern California. If you have been considering hiring The Sunny Plumber, we have a review for you that will help you in making an informed decision.

Their Plumbers
Letting a stranger into your home is not always an easy thing. Therefore, you need a trustworthy partner to work with. The Sunny Plumbers conduct a background check on all of their plumbers to identify whether they have a criminal past or a history of drug abuse. This helps you keep at ease as you keep at ease as you let them take care of your plumbing.

Reliability
It is hard to come by a company that will be available whenever you need them, regardless of it being day or night. The Sunny Plumbers understand you need to have a properly working plumbing system at all times and that repairs cannot just wait. They are always available, be it during odd hours, weekends or on holidays. This might not be exactly what sets them apart, but the ability to work odd hours without an extra charge, certainly does.

Family-Friendly
When you invite a plumber into your home, you want them to be conversant with safety guidelines so that your family and pets are kept safe during the repairs or installation. The Sunny Side employs a team that is trained to maintain friendliness and respect. They are so easy to work with.

Experience
With experience comes skill and this is one of the a-must check things when looking for a plumber. The Sunny Plumbers have nearly two decades of experience and have grown their skills over the years.

Alexandre Gama is an entrepreneur from Brazil. He specializes in the advertising and communications industry. Gama began his career as a copywriter at Standard Ogilvy & Mather in 1982. In 1990, he became a copywriter and Creative Director at DM9 and held that position for four years. During his time there he became the most awarded copywriter of his generation.

Alexandre Gama also worked at places like Almap BBDO as its Creative Executive Director, and Young & Rubicam as its CCO and CEO. In 1999, he left to branch out on his own. Gama founded Neogama, now one of the top agencies in the country.

In its first three years of operation, Neogama became the fastest growing agency in Brazil’s history. It was also the very first Brazil agency to win a Lion in their first year of operation at the Cannes Festival. Neogama has been named “Agency of the Year” and was the youngest agency to ever win the esteemed Cabore award.

Alexandre Gama was named as one of the seven most important professions in Brazil’s publicity history in 2006. During the same year, he was named “Agency Director of the Year” by the Propaganda Professionals Association, and in 2007 he was named “Entrepreneur of the Year in the Communications Industry.”

In 1996, 9,000 year old remains were found along the shore of the Columbia River in Kennewich, Washington. The remains were located on land belonging to the Army Corps. of Engineers who transferred the remains to scientists for investigation. Once anthropologists recognized the remains’ age, they aimed to determine its origins. Local tribes, the Yakama, Umatilla, Cayuse, Colville, Nez Perce and Wanapum worked for two decades to reclaim the remains of Kennewick Man, or as they referred to him, The Ancient One. They knew the remains belonged to one of their own, but anthropologists could not accept that answer until after a thorough DNA study. The study showed that the local tribes were correct. The Ancient One had genetic markings that proved his relationship to the Plateau tribes. Since that time, the tribes have worked with local legislators to bring The Ancient One’s remains home.

On December 10, 2016 Congress approved legislation that would return the remains from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to the Plateau tribes. The tribes have given the male ancestor the name Uytpama Natitayt, which translates to The Ancient One. They will lay their ancestor to rest at an undisclosed location.

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was created to enforce the return of indigenous remains to families and tribes but the process can take a years. The legislation introduced in this case sped up the process. The Ancient One is expected to return home in a few weeks.

As independent nations, Native American tribal groups are able to set their own laws. Federal changes, like the legalization of gay marriage in 2015, don’t affect tribal regulations. Until Friday, 11 of America’s tribal groups had bans on same-sex marriages. Now that the Cherokee nation attorney general Todd Hembree has formally announced a change to the law, that number is down to 10.

The Cherokee do not have their own Supreme Court. Instead, large-scale legal rulings are discussed and voted on by the tribal council composed of elders from the community. In 2004, the tribal council passed the Cherokee Nation Marriage and Family Act, which banned same-sex marriages within the tribe’s jurisdiction. The act was passed unanimously.

Unlike the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage, the overturning of the 2004 act was a quiet affair. The Cherokee nation’s tax commissioner received a request for a vehicle registration for a same-sex couple who had married in an American jurisdiction. The commissioner then asked Attorney General Hembree how to proceed, prompting Hembree’s announcement that same-sex marriage would now be recognized.

Members of the tribal council have not spoken to the media. Tribal Assistant Attorney General Chrissi Nimmo explained the office’s decision as a matter of practicality, stating “it makes things easier” to simply recognize same-sex marriages. It’s unclear how this change will affect traditional Cherokee wedding practices.

Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, has announced that the movie adaptation will feature a Native American star.

Alexie made headlines with Indian back in 2007; not only was it one of the few books that year that featured a Native American protagonist, but since Alexie grew up on a Spokane reservation himself, it was deemed an accurate and culturally relevant portrayal of native life. It shot to the top of The New York Times’ bestseller list and was hailed as one of the most important young adult (YA) books of the decade.

Some people were worried about cultural preservation when it was announced that Fox had picked up the rights to a movie adaptation, but Alexie has calmed fears by sharing the news that a Native American will play the lead role.

“This is going to be culturally authentic,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

He also revealed that he’s received many offers for the movie rights to Indian over the years, but he turned them all down because of a lack of faith in Hollywood.

“Until this particular team,” he said, “I’ve never had a set of producers be so faithful to the book.”

While the team in question has yet to be revealed to the public, it’s known that Alexie will work on the screenplay and act as an executive producer. Other potential actors for the movie include Hugh Jackman, Isaac Klausner, Wyck Godfrey and Lauren Shuler Donner.

President-elect Donald J. Trump is wasting no time as he transitions toward his January 20, 2017 inauguration. He’s met with tech giants like Elon Musk of Tesla and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. He even held meetings with Kanye West, Leonardo Dicaprio and Anne Wintour. Now he’s moving from industry and environmental issues to Native American issues.

In October, Trump announced the formation of his Native American Coaltion. Under the coalition’s chair, U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin, the group formed to address the growing social and economic issues within the Native American community.

Mullin organized a December meeting between tribal leaders and Mr. Trump’s transition team. Around 200 people attended, including members of the transition staff and officials from the United States Department of the Interior.

The group discussed a wide range of topics, which reportedly included the Dakota Access pipeline, tribal sovereignty, water and land rights, job development and energy production. The tribal leaders in attendance spoke about their individual concerns and gave recommendations on how the incoming president’s team can address those concerns.

Shortly after the meeting, Trump announced Montana Representative Ryan Zinke as his pick to lead the Department of the Interior. Zinke issued a statement that included his vow to prioritize Native American issues. This follows his track record in Montana. In his first term, he worked closely with Montana’s eight sovereign tribal nations to pass beneficial legislation, such as tax relief.